Blair and Brown at beef export summit
1 December 1999
Blair and Brown at beef export summit
By FWi staff
TONY BLAIR has hosted a breakfast meeting to discuss ways of reviving the beef export trade.
The Prime Minister and agriculture minister Nick Brown discussed the issue with farming union and Meat and Livestock Commission representatives, and other beef industry figures.
The meeting was described as a “brainstorming” session to devise creative strategies for winning back overseas markets.
Meanwhile, Germany has said its ban on British beef will not be lifted until at least February.
Although the Germans were given until today (Wednesday) by the European Commission to lift the embargo, health minister Andrea Fischer said she was still not 100% satisfied about the safety of UK beef.
Growing hopes that the French embargo on British beef may soon be lifted will not be dented if France misses the Wednesday deadline to lift the ban.
An EC spokesman told BBC Online:”In the current circumstances in which there is every sign that this dispute is going to be resolved amicably, we do not consider it to be a calamity if the French do not meet the deadline.